U.S. Pat. No. 8,613,813 entitled “Forming of Metallic Glass by Rapid Capacitor Discharge” is directed, in certain aspects, to a rapid discharge heating and forming method (RDHF method), in which a metallic glass is rapidly heated and formed into an amorphous article by discharging an electrical energy through a metallic glass sample cross-section to rapidly heat the feedstock to a process temperature in the range between the glass transition temperature of the metallic glass and the equilibrium liquidus temperature of the glass-forming alloy (termed the “undercooled liquid region”) and shaping and then cooling the sample to form an amorphous article.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,613,813 is also directed, in certain aspects, to a rapid discharge heating and forming apparatus (RDHF apparatus), which includes a metallic glass feedstock, a source of electrical energy, at least two electrodes interconnecting the source of electrical energy to the metallic glass feedstock, where the electrodes are attached to the feedstock such that connections are formed between the electrodes and the feedstock, and a shaping tool disposed in forming relation to the feedstock. In the disclosed apparatus, the source of electrical energy is capable of producing electrical energy uniformly through a sample such that the generated electrical current heats the entirety of the sample to a process temperature between the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material and the equilibrium liquidus temperature of the alloy, while the shaping tool is capable of applying a deformational force to form the heated sample to a net shape article.